Mark Schwarzer awarded Alex Tobin Medal, seven Brisbane Roar players in A-League team of the year

Socceroos legend Mark Schwarzer on Friday became the sixth recipient of the Australian players' highest honour - the Alex Tobin OAM Medal.

The retired Australian goalkeeper, still plying his trade with Chelsea in the English Premier League, joins the elite company of past and present Socceroos - the late Johnny Warren, Joe Marston, Craig Johnston, Mark Viduka and Frank Farina - as Tobin medallists.

The award was presented in Sydney by the Professional Footballers Australia (PFA).

Awarded to a player who has demonstrated four outstanding attributes: leadership, achievement as a player, commitment to one's fellow professionals, and service and dedication to the game, the Socceroos' record cap holder said it was a great honour to receive the players' highest award.

"It was a surprise when I first was told. I feel extremely privileged to have joined some of the truly outstanding players," the veteran of 109 Socceroos appearances said.

"This award means so much because it is from the players. When you play with the Socceroos for as long as I have, you form such close bonds so it is very humbling.

"When you are young, you think your career is going to last forever but it goes so quick and, when you have a chance like today to look back over it, you realise just how quickly it all goes.

"To look back now, I feel extremely proud of the progress Australian football has made, we have defied the odds and that is my message for the current Socceroos - keep proving people wrong."

PFA president Simon Colosimo said it was fitting Schwarzer would take his place alongside the previous Tobin recipients.

"Mark will forever be remembered as one of the greatest Socceroos in history and was the unanimous choice of the players as the sixth recipient," Colosimo said.

"On countless occasions, he has demonstrated that he is a world-class goalkeeper and none more so than in 2005 in the penalty shoot-out against Uruguay, which sealed the Socceroos' place in the 2006 World Cup."

Premiership winners Brisbane dominated the PFA A-League team of the season with five Roar players included.

Voted by all A-League players, the next best represented team in the 16-man squad is Adelaide United, with Reds 'keeper Eugene Galekovic named captain. There are two each from Melbourne Victory and Wellington Phoenix.

Having become just the third coach to win the A-League premiership and championship double in the same season, Roar boss Mike Mulvey added to the Brisbane flavour by edging out last season's winner Tony Popovic and Josep Gombau as coach.

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